ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album Notes

\"Cameron Mizell\'s playing is up there with some of the best electric jazz/funk guitarists around, and along with Hammond B-3 master Brad Whiteley and drummer Mike Fortune, they get into the kind of spaces that fans of instrumental jazz will love.\" -John Book, Music For America

\"This album was crafted, not merely put together. It is (in my opinion), an antique in the making. And, I must say, there is more jam in Cameron Mizell’s guitar than in any breakfast restaurant on the east coast.\" Mr. G, DJ for the Green Arrow Radio Show

The Story Of Life Is Loud
by Scott Yanow

A talented and colorful guitarist with a distinctive style, Cameron Mizell recently released his second CD as a leader, a funk laden jazz outing titled LIFE IS LOUD.

LIFE IS LOUD seamlessly blends Mizell\'s originals with a few carefully selected covers. “I wanted to pay respect to musicians that have inspired me, but without trying to imitate them,” says the guitarist. “I\'m really loving James Brown, The Meters and Grant Green these days. When I started learning to play jazz I was listening to Wes Montgomery, Dexter Gordon and Bill Evans. The tunes on this album, and my style in general, are the result of their combined influence.”

On LIFE IS LOUD, Mizell chose organist-keyboardist Brad Whiteley and drummer Mike Fortune for his trio. “I look for musicians who I can play off of, and who can play off me. I met Brad while cutting my teeth in Indiana, before moving to New York. He played in the funk band on my first CD. When he finally came to NYC, I wouldn\'t settle for anyone but him on keys. Mike and I met shortly after I moved here. The first few times we played together as a duo we didn\'t miss having a bass or keyboard at all. We just felt the same groove immediately.”

From first note of \"Fearless,\" the opening track on LIFE IS LOUD, it is obvious that the trio has its own sound. While the band often riffs like an organ trio, Mizell’s guitar playing is both very soulful and consistently creative, Whiteley uses his keyboards to conjure up a wide variety of sounds, and Fortune’s drumming is always dynamic and attentive. The wide-ranging 13-song set includes “Cold Sweat” (a new take on the James Brown classic), The Meters’ “Pungee,” a fresh look at the Blood, Sweat & Tears hit “Spinning Wheel,” an adventurous \"Let The Music Take Your Mind\" by Kool & The Gang, and a variety of originals. Some selections, such as “Soulfunksticat” and the soulful strut “Chester Bustamante,” find Mizell hinting in places at \'70s Grant Green but with more contemporary rhythms and ideas. While the music is certainly danceable, the playing is sophisticated and full of subtle surprises.

“I’m constantly bombarded by sound in NYC; there is noise here all the time. The title of the CD, Life Is Loud, represents both the literal audible noise, and also all the figurative noise going through my head in this hyped-up, iPodded, smart phone, multitasking society--both of which are amplified in a crowded city like New York. Completing this album amongst all the noise turned out to be a big endeavor, so Life Is Loud just sort of hit me as a kind of Hemingway-esque statement of how the music I make has changed since coming to New York.”

LIFE IS LOUD, one of the funkiest jazz recordings of the year, will certainly force the jazz world to take note of Cameron Mizell.

Cameron Mizell is turning out to be a consistent musician who knows how to present himself and his music. The last time out, he released an EP and being impressed by it, I wanted to hear more. I was sent a copy of his debut album and really liked that a lot, so even more I wanted to hear the next project.

Mizell says without hesitation Life Is Loud (self-released), and his influences come from late 60's/early 70's jazz, soul, and funk. "Fearless" sounds like it could be off of some out of print Blue Note LP, or The JB's kicking it after hours without their boss. In fact, Mizell's cover of "Cold Sweat" is a bit different than most, as he and the band change the tempo a number of times throughout, unexpected but it works fairly well. His choice of covers will blow away any fan of that era of soul, jazz, and funk, including uplifting versions of "Let The Music Take Your Mind" (Kool & The Gang), "Spinning Wheel" (Blood, Sweat & Tears), and "Pungee" (The Meters).

Now when I say band, I should say upfront that Mizell's group is a trio. He works once again with keyboardist Brad Whiteley, who handles everything from the Hammond B-3 and Fender Rhodes to a toy piano, and a synth bass on top of that. While not as forceful as a John Medeski, Whiteley gets the job done and makes his presence known at the right moments. Adding to the mix is drummer Mike Fortune, who seems to take the approach of Elvin Jones a bit (just a bit) by sounding as if he's always playing and filling every pocket of the song, but still managing to maintain the core of the song. By taking on the concept of a trio, Mizell, Whiteley, and Fortune are able to bounce off of each other more intimately and have the music be as tight as it can be. Soul and funk has to be tight at all times (all time, I said), and with the openness and freedom of jazz they also allow themselves to get loose withing restrictions, such as when Mizell lets his guitar flow with an incredible groove in "Get Out". His playing can be light and sensitive, done with intensity but without massive volume, and it works well in the context of these songs, so he's not trying to pull a John McLaughlin or Al DiMeola although I'm sure he could. In fact, his guitar work is a bit like Leo Nocentelli of The Meters in that you begin to identify him with his style and sound, but he also allows the others in the trio to be heard and contribute as well. In truth, that should be the way all musicians work, but sometimes when guitarists make albums it becomes nothing but an ego fest. Maybe he is suggesting that if Life Is Loud, his music doesn't have to be. You can dance, groove, listen, or chillax and still get a lot from his music.

Jazz fans will also be happy to know that Rob Fillmore engineered and mixed this, and Kevin Reeves mastered the final mix. If you are familiar with the work he has done over the years with Polygram/Universal, including tons of jazz reissues, you will like Reeves' approach to this album as he allows the music to breathe, no "brickwall limiting" here.

Inspired by Cameron's incredible self-titled CD, which was referred to me based on my previous iTunes purchases, I purchased this CD via his website. His music is so of the earth, you can taste the soil. Hard work, intensive labor of love, whatever you want to call it, this CD just awes the listener with its wide range of influences. I dare you to keep from doin' the head boppin' thing during "Get Out."
No sophomore slumps can be found here, just good ole fashion funk, jam, and jelly!

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